Remotely operable seat belt locking device



July 13, 1965 J. H. K UTZ REMOTELY OPERABLE'SEAT BELT LOCKING DEVICEFiled Nov. 8, 1962 m u v INVENTOR Jacob H. Kutz United States Patent 0153,194,582 Patented July 13, 1965 ice . 3,194,582 REMOTELY OPERABLE SEATBELT LOCKING DEVICE Jacob H. Kutz, 3050 Fadette St., Pittsburgh, Pa.Filed Nov. 8, 1962, Set. No. 236,275 7 Claims. (Cl. 280150) Thisinvention relates to a safety device and particularly to a safety devicehaving provision for rendering the device inoperative at a time when itsoperativeness might be hazardous. The invention further contemplates asafety device comprising a plurality of holding elements with commonmeans for rendering the holding elements operative and inoperative.

My invention has varied applications but for purposes of explanation andillustration it will be described as embodies in a safety device used ina school bus. The seat for each child is equipped with a safety belt.Each safety belt has a locking member for rendering the safety beltoperative. Each safety belt has resilient or spring means urging thelocking member to unlocked position. All of the locking members areadapted to be moved to locked position by control means operated by thedriver.

In case of emergency the driver may operate the control means to permitthe spring means to move the locking members to unlocked position,releasing the children. Each safety belt is also provided with means formoving the locking member to unlocked position even when the driverscontrol means is in the position maintaining the locking members lockedso that if the driver should be come incapacitated and be unable torelease the children each child can release himself.

I provide a safety device comprising a holding element having portionsadapted to be disposed in predetermined relative position when theholding element is to be rendered operative, a locking member associatedwith the holding element so that when the portions of the holdingelement are in said position the locking member may be moved to lockedposition to rend-er the holding element operative, resilient meansurging the locking member to unlocked position and fluid pressureoperated means to move the locking member to locked position against theaction of the resilient means. I prefer to disposed at diaphragm injuxtaposition to the locking member opposed to the resilient meanstogether with means operable against the diaphragm to press thediaphragm toward the locking member and thus move the locking member tolocked position against the action of the resilient means. The meansoperable against the diaphragm to press the diaphragm toward the lockingmember are preferably fluid pressure means.

My safety device preferably comprises a plurality of holding elementseach having portions adapted to be dis posed in predetermined relativeposition when the holding element is to be rendered operative togetherwith a locking member associated with each holding element so that whenthe portions of a holding element are in said position the lockingmember associated therewith may be moved to locked position to renderthat holding element operative, resilient means urging each lockingmember to unlocked position, fluid pressure means to move the lockingmembers to locked position against the action of the resilient means anda common control device for controlling the flow of fluid to all of thelocking members.

In a preferred embodiment of my invention the safety device may, asabove indicated, comprise a seat belt having portions adapted to bedisposed in predetermined relative position when the seat belt is to berendered operative for holding a person in a seat together with alocking member associated with the seat belt so that when the portionsof the seat belt are in said position the locking member may be moved tolocked position to render the seat belt operative, resilient meansurging the locking member to unlocked position and means, preferablyfluid pressure operated, to move the locking member to locked positionagainst the action of the resilient means. The safety device normallycomprises a plurality of seat belts thus equipped and a common controldevice for con--. trolling the flow of fluid to all of the lockingmembers. Manually operable means are preferably provided to move eachlocking member to unlocked position against the action of the meansmoving the locking member to locked position.

In a specific preferred embodiment I provide, in a vehicle having amotor and a plurality of seats, a seat belt for each seat, each seatbelt having portions adapted to be disposed in predetermined relativeposition when the seat belt is to be rendered operative for holding aperson in the corresponding seat, a locking member associated with eachseat belt so that when the portions of a seat belt are in said positionthe locking member associated therewith may be moved to locked positionto render that seat belt operative, resilient means urging each lockingmember to unlocked position, means operated by the motor of the vehiclefor supplying fluid under pressure, means conducting the fluid to thelocking members to move the locking members to locked position againstthe action of the resilient means and a common control device posi-.tioned for operation by the operator of the vehicle for controlling theflow of fluid to all of the locking members. Manually operable means arepreferably provided to move each locking member to unlocked positionagainst the, action of the fluid pressure means.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the following description of a present preferred embodimentthereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodimentof the invention in which FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of aschool bus showing the drivers seat, the seats for the children and thesafety device embodying holding elements in the form of seat belts, onefor each child, and control means therefor as above explained;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the ends of'one of the seat belts,shown in chain lines, and the locking means associated therewith;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the locking means shown in FIGURE 2 but witha portion of the releasing lever broken away;

FIGURE 4 is a central vertical cross-sectional view FIGURE 1 shows aschool bus designated generally by.

reference numeral 2 having a seat 3 for the driver and thirty-threeseats 4 for the children. Each seat 4 is provided with a holding elementin the form of a seat belt designated generally by reference numeral 5and having flexibleportions 5a and 51; extending from opposite sides ofthe seat over the lap of the child sitting in the seat. Connected withthe portion 5a of the seat belt is a bracket. 6. Connected with theportion Sb of the seat belt is a' keeper 7. A loop at the end of theportion Saof the seat belt passes through a slot 8 in the bracket 6 anda loop at the end of the portion 5b of the seat belt passes through.

with the side walls 11 by bolts or other suitable connecting means 13. Adiaphragm 14 is disposed under and in sealed relationship to the topmember 12, and the top member 12 is provided with a connection 15 for aflexible fluid pressure conduit 16.

Pivoted to the bracket 6 by a pivot pin 17 is a locking member 18 havinga locking detent 19. Below the locking detent 19 the base 10 of thebracket 6 is provided with a slot 26). The keeper 7 has a slot 21adapted to be positioned in vertical alignment with the slot of thebracket 6 as shown in FIGURE 4. The locking member 13 is urged tounlocked or inoperative position by a compression coil spring 22. Alever 23 is pivotally mounted in the bracket 6 at 24 and has an arm 25underlying a portion 26 of the locking member 18 projecting to the left,viewing FIGURE 4, of the detent 19.

The motor of the school bus 2 is shown at 27. The motor through asprocket or belt drive 28 drives an air compressor 29 which compressesair into a tank 39, the air passing from the compressor 29 to the tank30 through a pipe 31. The compressed air tank 30 has a pipe 32 leadingtherefrom to a control valve 33 adapted to be controlled by the driver.From the control valve 33 leads a header pipe 34 from which extendbranch pipes 35 connected by conduits 16 to the respective top members12 so that when the valve 33 is open compressed air enters all of thetop members 12 and forces the diaphragms 14 downwardly to move thelocking members 13 to operative or locked position as shown in FIGURE 6.When the valve 33 is closed the supply of compressed air to the headerpipe 34 is shut off and the header pipe 34 is vented to the atmospherereleasing the pressure against the locking members 18 so that thesprings 22 move the locking members 18 to unlocked or inoperativeposition as shown in FIGURE 4.

Each lever 23 may be grasped by the child at any time and moved from theposition of FIGURE 6 to the position of FIGURE 7 to raise the lockingmember 18 to inoperative position so that if anything should happen tothe driver in an emergency preventing the driver from closing the valve33 each child can release himself even when the pressure is on. Also,the lever 23 is used by each child to momentarily move the lockingmember 13 to unlocked or inoperative position when the child boards thebus on the Way to school to enable moving the keeper 7 into positionwith its slot 21 in alignment with the slot 20, whereafter the lever 23is released and the air pressure moves the locking member 18 tooperative or locked position.

My safety device maintains the children in their seats when the bus ismoving. When the bus reaches its destination, or, in case of anaccident, after the accident has occurred and the bus has come to astop, the valve 33 is closed by the driver and all of the childrens seatbelts are released. If an accident occurs resulting in failure of thecompressed air supply the springs 22 move the locking members 18 toinoperative position and release the children.

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of theinvention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is notlimited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scopeof the following claims.

I claim:

1. A safety device comprising a plurality of seat belts each havingportions adapted to be disposed in predetermined relative position whenthe seat belt is to be rendered operative for holding a person in aseat, a locking member associated with each seat belt so that when theportions of a seat belt are in said position the locking memberassociated therewith may be moved to locked position to render that seatbelt operative, resilient means urging each locking member to unlockedposition, fluid pressure means to move the locking members to lockedposition against the action of the resilient means and a common controldevice for controlling the flow of fluid to all of the locking members.

2. A safety device comprising a seat belt having portions adapted to bedisposed in predetermined relative position when the seat belt is to berendered operative for holding a person in a seat, a locking memberassociated with the seat belt so that when the portions of the seat beltare in said position the locking member may be moved to locked positionto render the seat belt operative, rcsilient means urging the lockingmember to unlocked position, fluid pressure operatcd means to move thelocking member to locked position against the action of the resilientmeans and manually operable means to move the locking member to unlockedposition against the action of the fluid pressure operated means.

3. A safety device comprising a plurality of seat belts each havingportions adapted to be disposed in predetermined relative position whenthe seat belt is to be rendered operative for holding a person in aseat, a locking member associated with each seat belt so that when theportions of a seat belt are in said position the locking memberassociated therewith may be moved to locked poistion to render that seatbeit operative, resilient means urging each locking member to unlockedposition, fluid pressure means to move the locking members to lockedposition against the action of the resilient means, a common controldevice for controlling the flow of fluid to all of the locking membersand manually operable means to move each locking member to unlockedposition against the action of the fluid pressure means.

4. In a vehicle having a motor and a plurality of seats, a seat belt foreach seat, each seat belt having portions adapted to be disposed inpredetermined relative position when the seat belt is to be renderedoperative for holding a person in the corresponding seat, a lockingmember associated with each seat belt so that when the portions of aseat belt are in said position the locking member associated therewithmay be moved to locked position to render that seat belt operative,resilient means urging each locking member to unlocked position, meansoperated by the motor of the vehicle for supplying fluid under pressure,means conducting the fluid to the locking members to move the lockingmembers to locked position against the action of the resilient means anda common control device positioned for operation by the operator of thevehicle for controlling the flow of fluid to all of the locking members.

5. In a vehicle having a motor and a plurality of seats, a seat belt foreach seat, each seat belt having portions adapted to be disposed inpredetermined relative position when the seat belt is to be renderedoperative for holding a person in the corresponding seat, a lockingmember associated with each seat belt so that when the portions of aseat belt are in said position the locking member associated therewithmay be moved to locked position to render that seat belt operative,resilient means urging each locking member to unlocked position, meansoperated by the motor of the vehicle for supplying fluid underpressure,..

means conducting the fluid to the locking members to move the lockingmembers to locked position against the action of the resilient means, acommon control device positioned for operation by the operator of thevehicle for controlling the flow of fluid to all of the locking membersand manually operable means to move each locking member to unlockedposition against the action of the fluid pressure means.

6. A safety device comprising a plurality of seat belts each havingportions adapted to be disposed in predetermined relative position whenthe seat belt is to be rendered operative for holding a person in aseat, a locking member associated with each seat belt so that when theportions of a seat belt are in said position the locking memberassociated therewith may be moved to locked position to render that seatbelt operative, resilient means urging each locking member to unlockedposition, means to move the locking members to locked position againstthe action of the resilient means and a common control device forrendering said last mentioned means operative to move the lockingmembers to locked position.

7. A safety device comprising a seat belt having portions adapted to bedisposed in predetermined relative position when the seat belt is to berendered operative for holding a person in a seat, a locking memberassociated with the seat belt so that when the portions of the seat beltare in said position the locking member may be moved to locked positionto render the seat belt operative, resilient means urging the lockingmember to unlocked position, actuating means for moving the lockingmember to locked position against the action of the re- 5 silient meansand manually operable means to move the locking member to unlockedposition against the action of the actuating means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,228,675 1/41Raymond 292-201 X 2,475,226 7/49 Ellis 280-450 X 2,705,529 4/55 Bull280-450 X 2,815,085 12/57 Whipple 180-82 2,845,676 8/58 Huber 280-4 30 X2,888,287 5/59 Taylor 292144 X 3,075,208 1/ 63 Mercer et al 24-230.1 X

A. HARRY LEVY, Primary Examiner.

LEO FRIAGLIA, Examiner.

1. A SAFETY DEVICE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SEAT BELTS EACH HAVINGPORTIONS ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED IN PREDETERMINED RELATIVE POSITION WHENTHE SEAT BELT IS TO BE RENDERED OPERATIVE FOR HOLDING A PERSON IN ASEAT, A LOCKING MEMBER ASSOCIATED WITH EACH SEAT BELT SO THAT WHEN THEPORTIONS OF A SEAT BELT ARE IN SAID POSITION THE LOCKING MEMBERASSOCIATED THEREWITH MAY BE MOVED TO LOCKED POSITION TO RENDER THAT SEATBELT OPERATIVE, RESILIENT MEANS URGING EACH LOCKING MEMBER TO UNLOCKEDPOSITION, FLUID PRESSURE MEANS TO MOVE THE LOCKING MEMBERS TO LOCKEDPOSITION AGAINST THE ACTION OF THE RESILIENT MEANS AND A COMMON CONTROLDEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF FLUID TO ALL OF THE LOCKING MEMBERS.